The Art Of Getting Traught
by Fantaster
Summary: These two being in one school and not getting into akward, complicated, "near miss" situations? Seriously, do you believe that? I don't (: Traught, obviously.


**A/N: **Guys, I'd like to thank you all for the support of my first story here! Your reviews and favouring/following are music to my soul and source of my inspiration! (:

Now, here we go (:

* * *

Something's wrong.

She can tell from one look.

Not like she knows Dick Grayson too well – she has been acquainted with him for roughly a year and a half, during which he has evolved from a "creepy freshman" to an occasional "lunch pal" and in the past few months – her "math tutor". According to Artemis' scale, it's a great achievement, actually.

They don't discuss personal matters much. As a matter of fact, they don't discuss them at all.

She knows that Gotham's playboy billionaire is his legal guardian – well, who doesn't? – and that Dick is a mathlete-genius, but for a nerd he's too well-built and way too sociable.

But at the moment when no one's around and he's engrossed in his own thoughts, his guard is down.

It's a 15-minute break and he's sitting on the edge of an out of order fountain, absentmindedly playing with his phone. Sunlight illuminates his face, and she idly notes to herself that she has never seen him wearing glasses.

He seems upset. Disconcerted. Distraught.

Artemis banishes these words and the urge to **_dis_**-sever the prefixes out of her head, takes another bite of an apple and decides she probably has been spending too much time with Robin lately.

She is actually contemplating approaching Dick and asking him what's wrong – not that it's any of her business – when a redhead girl comes into sight and Artemis wrinkles her nose. Barbara Gordon.

Dick lifts his head and his facial expression changes in a split second like he puts on some kind of a mask. He stands up, brushing dust off his pants, and Artemis is about to turn around, when he waves at her. _So much for a quiet escape. _

Dick meets her with a smile, Barbara – with a somber look. _Well, hello to you too._ Barbara's doing that a lot recently, since Artemis stepped over her pride and asked Dick to tutor her in math. Though Dick is younger, he's in her math class and in fact he has the best results while she needs to keep her grades up so why not? Anyway, every time Barbara reacts in such a manner slightly irritates and amuses Artemis in equal measure, because she knows exactly what this means. The girl is jealous.

Artemis wonders if Dick has any idea about that.

Casually, the blonde puts a hand on Dick's shoulder – almost like he did on her first day at the Academy. It doesn't look as patronizing as she would want it to – in the end, they are of the same height now, but this will do anyway. Barbara glooms even more and Artemis gives her an innocent smile. Not like she holds it against the redhead or wants to meddle in her relationship with Dick – Artemis already has her hands full with Wally and dreams full of someone who is definitely not supposed to be there. She tries to persuade herself that she has done it just because it's fun to mess with Barbara and not because she wanted to comfort Dick at least like this. She's not exactly the comforting type.

The gleeful sound of the bell is almost mocking.

"Come on, let's go," Barbara nudges. They have sociology next.

Dick is picking up his bag from the ground slowly – too slowly for Artemis' liking, his smile completely gone. Artemis is not hurrying either – a boring philosophy class with Mr. Gibbs spitting a generous amount of saliva around while talking surely isn't something she's looking forward to.

Barbara is several steps ahead of them. A chattering and giggling covey of freshmen rushes by. Artemis glances at Dick, who seems cheerless once again and wants to say that they should catch up with Barbara.

"Let's skip it," she blurts out. _Here goes my scholarship. Sorry, Mr. Wayne..._

Dick halts and stares at her in astonishment. She shrugs.

"Mr. Gibbs is pretty oblivious of non-attendance. I've heard he can speak in front of one person as well as in front of a full classroom, so it's my turn to not be there. And you said you have already finished your sociology project so you probably can skip one lesson. Or is it too much trouble for you?" she challenges before common sense can kick in and force her to back off.

"No, but –"

"Are you with me or what?" Artemis interrupts. _And seriously, what the heck am I doing?_

Dick grins.

Half an hour later, while Barbara is scowling at an empty desk beside her, a waitress in "B&R", Gotham's largest ice-cream parlor, smiles at the cute couple in school uniform sitting near one of the windows.

"…so they called me this morning and said that they had some major company reconstruction and won't be getting any trainees anytime soon."

"Too bad," Artemis says sympathetically, savouring the chocolate chip on her cornet. "But you can always get a job at Wayne Enterprises, right?"

Dick sighs and bites his portion of ice-cream.

"That's exactly why I wanted to try the traineeship at this organization. I didn't want to get it just because Bruce is my legal guardian. I want to become someone on my own, show that I'm capable, that I'm…"

He doesn't finish the phrase, but Artemis understands it anyway.

…_that_ _I'm good enough_.

That's pretty much how she has been feeling for almost all of her life. She has to constantly prove herself both as a superhero and as a student at Gotham Academy – the first one because of her family (especially her dad), the second – because of the Wayne scholarship. She doesn't want Bruce Wayne to think that she's a mere charity case. And most of all, she does it for herself. So yeah, she understands Dick better than anyone else.

"You'll find another. A better one," she says with conviction. "And I'm not just saying that to cheer you up – I mean that too but it's not only that. Ugh."

Great, now she's rambling.

"Okay, okay, I get it," Dick chuckles, and the laugh sounds oddly familiar. "By the way, you've got some chocolate on your face."

_Perfect. _

"Where?"

"Here," he gently brushes his fingers against her cheek and Artemis feels herself blush, which is a pretty rare occurrence.

"Thanks," she says awkwardly.

He smirks and casually mentions, "Your ice-cream is melting."

"What? Oh. Oh!" She hastily reaches for a napkin. Dick watches her with an amused smile.

"Thanks," he says softly. "You know, for everything. Now I'm definitely feeling the as…-aspiration!"

Artemis drops the napkin and narrows her eyes in suspicion.

Robin lives in Gotham, is younger than her and… What are the chances of them going to the same school?

His voice is a bit different now when he is relaxed and the intonation is definitely familiar, and Artemis has a sudden and desperate desire to put some sunglasses onto him and ruffle his perfectly gelled hair. Just to be sure.

_That would be too easy, right?_

_But isn't hiding in plain sight the most effective?_

It's not like she wants to ruin his secret identity, she perfectly understands what keeping secrets means.

But she's curious, and a curious Artemis is a dangerous Artemis.

Of course, she might be wrong and Dick will probably laugh his heart out or think that she's an obsessed fangirl of Robin's. _Ugh._

But what if she's right?

"Earth to Artemis," Dick is waving a hand in front of her face with a smile, but there is a hint of alert in his blue orbs. However, for now she decides to just let it slide and enjoy a rare moment of utter normalcy. She makes a face at him and he visibly relaxes once again.

_I'll show you how to get traught. _


End file.
